Online Content Creation Still Rules

After having just watched two Brian Solis webinars that cover topics from his recent publication, Engage and thinking about Social Media and its relationship to search and the changes that Google is making to include social results in search, the only words that keeps popping into my head are online content creation. As always, content needs to be the most important aspect for your online marketing campaign.

SEO Content Creation

Content rules in search engine optimization. Yes we have heard it all before, but it can still be so hard to help businesses to understand just how important quality content creation is for their site. Since Google gives more authority to sites that provide resources as opposed to sites that only provide products or services, businesses need to remember how crucial it is to remain competitive by becoming authorities in their industry. To best way to do this, is to contribute online content that does not just promote, but educates and enlightens the visitors.

Social Media Content Creation

Just like search engine optimization, online content creation rules for social media marketing (or as many refer to it nowadays, social media optimization). Solis, talks about how every step of social media engagement affects the outcome. This means that each opportunity to engage in the social media realm is an opportunity to brand yourself and have an impact on what is being said about you. One of my favorite quotes for the Solis webinar was “if it can be searched, it can be optimized”. Indeed in the competitive online market it becomes critical to think of every piece of information that you put out there as a chance to be found and ranked for specific keywords that drive the appropriate track to your website.

Online Content is Online Content

So no matter whether the content exists on your website in the form of product pages, blog posts, or resource documents, online content does rule. As a fan of acrostic words, I’ve put together a diagram that helps us remember how to embrace online content creation optimization for both SEO and SMM.

Create original, quality content that is meaningful, purposeful, and intriguing

Optimize the content with keywords that make sense and do not overstuff it

Network by posting the content in the right places and remember that where your customers are is where you need to be

Track where the content goes, how it got there and how it gets directed back to your site

Engage with others that surround the content and become active but not overly promotional

Nurture the engagement and use it to draw your audience in and tailor that content around their wants and needs

Track everything that is trackable as Social Media ROI is the future of online content creation and management

SEO/SMM Online Content Creation & Optimization for All

Some would argue that we may be heading in the direction of optimization overkill. I like to think that we are creative enough to make our online content work for us without making it obvious. Many will say that viral content is viral content regardless of whether or not it has been optimized. Others will say, well why not take the opportunity to make it that much easier for people to find you and to make that viral content part of your brand. What do you think, can a marketer be subtle and maximize potential at the same time all the time or do we hand select where we implement online content optimization?